Bracelet buckle



June 1, 1937. EKLUND 2,082,621

BRACELET BUCKLE Filed June 22, 1933 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

. Patented June 1, 193;;

Massac Application June 22, 1933, Serial No. 877,075

This invention relates to a bracelet buckle having a plurality of sections which are relatively movable for varying the encircling size of a bracelet in which it is connected and has for one of its objects the provision of a foldable buckle having a sliding ratchet arrangementtherein in which the, ratchet may be released and the buckle opened by one continued movement of the operators hand.

30 Another object of the invention is the provision of a ratchet buckle in which the pawl and ratchet connectioncan be released by a fingerpiece which also serves for opening the buckle or disposing the sections thereof in unfolded position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a, foldable buckle having a ratchet slide therein with an arrangement such that the ratchet is entirely released prior to the unfolding of thebuckle and by the same manual movement which serves to unfold the buckle.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a foldable ratchet buckle having a slidable part in which the ratchet mechanism may be released and automatically restored to operating position by a movement of the sliding part towards contracted position.

Another object of the invention is an arrangement by which this automatic return of the pawl to locking pontion by movement of the slide will occur regardless of whether the buckle is in folded or unfolded position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a foldable buckle having a ratchet-slide which may be moved in one direction over a resilient pawl and which is held by the pawl against movement in the opposite direction and with means to flex and retain the pawl in released position after being moved to such posi- 6 tion by the operator.

Another object of the'invention is to cam and hold the resilient pawl of a ratchet buckle out of working position.

with these and other objects in viewthe invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointedgout in the append claims.

' In the accompanying drawing: 5" Fig. l is a perspective view of the buckle in closed position and with the slide as moved in- 'wardly'in the section in which it is mounted.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the buckle in similar position to that shown in Fig. 1 but with 55 the slide member as drawn outwardly from the to. J. F. 'Sturdys Sons 00., a corporation of huscttc REISSUEB buckle and with the flngerpiece in the position in which it causes a release of the ratchet mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the buckle with two of the sections unfolded therefrom. 5

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one end section of the buckle looking at the under side thereof and showing the rack or ratchet in the slide.

-Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the end section of the buckle and. with the auxiliary release slide 10 member as mounted therein.

Fi 6 is a perspective view of the main slide which'may be moved into and out of the end of a bracelet, it is frequently desirable to provide an arrangement by which, .if the slide be moved into the end section too far, it may be released to be withdrawn without unfolding the sections one from the other. It is also desirable that such release of the ratchet mechanism oc- 30 our when the buckle is in unfolded position and in order that this may be accomplished in a buckle which will have an attractive appearance, be comfortabe to wear and be mechanically practical, I have 'provideda plurality of foldable-sec- 35 tions and a slide in one section with the ratchet formed in the slide and a pawl provided on the section and have provided a withdrawal memher by which the pawl and ratchet mechanism may be disengaged while the sections are in 40 folded position and which means also is engaged for unfolding the sections one from the other in opening the buckle for. enlarging the encircling size of a bracelet in detaching the same from the wrist, whereby when the buckle is picked open by the thumb nail engaging'the part designed for such purpose. the ratchet will be first released and will remain in such released position until the slide is again forced inwar ly which would normally serve to operate the ratchet by which movement the flngerpiece is moved out of released position, the movement of the flngerpiece, however, being small so that the position of the flngerpiece is not readily noticed or thrown out of harmony of appearance, with it which are both hinged to an intermediate section 12 in any suitable manner, such as by means of a pivot pin i3 extending thru a loop eye M in the section I 2 and a pivot pin to extending thru the loop eye It at the opposite end of the section If.

The section Ill is generally channel shape be- 15- ing provided with side walls H which serve to stiffen the same and with an end eye is which will serve to connect this end section to the end link 19 of a bracelet chain by a suitable conhector 2B,. h 20 The end section it is provided with a top wall 2i and side walls 22 having inturned flanges 23 which serve to guide the slide member 2% in its sliding movement into and out of the section II. On the section it there is folded up from 25 the top wall a tongue 25 which is provided with a latch or pawl 26 and a downwardly-extending end 2'! for manipulation of the pawl. The resilience of the stock of .the tongue 25 is such as to tend to move the free end of this tongue away from the inside surface of the top wall it and into a position to engage a ratchet formed in the slide 24. This ratchet is formed by a series of cutouts or recesses 28 in the web portion 29 of the stock of the slide 24 which extends between the oppositely rolled edges 30 thereof, and which ently desired positions of adjustments may be had of the encircling size of a bracelet which is attached to the cross bar 33 of this slide such as by the end link 3t and connector 35', as illus trated in Figs. 1, 2 and '3.

The slide 26 is limited in its outward movement fingers 36 bent from one end of the section H at either side of the tongue 25 by engage- I ment with the end 31 of the web to prevent de- 55 tachment of the slide from its section. These fingers or stops being positioned or thrown up into the position illustrated in the opening 8% in the slide, after the slide is assembled. These fingers 38 will also serve to limit the inward movement of the slide by engagement with the cross bar 33 as will also the rolled end or eye it of the middle section i2 against which the end of the slide will abut to limit this movement. a The sections are held in folded position by reason of any suitable friction means which preferably may be detents or protuberances 35 extending outwardly from the free end of one end section III and engaging the edge flanges 23 to be positioned inwardly thereof by the resilience of the stock and spreading of the flanges laterally. In order that the pawl and ratchet mechanism may operate in an eflective way, I have provided a release member 48 which is slidably mounted in the section If and which extends between the n slide 2| and the top wall 2| of this section a hinged together to fold one over the other, fricfingerpiece M is formed on this member 40 by turning a portion over the top section to position the fingerpiece in any readily accessible place for forcing this release member inwardly.

This release member is provided at its inner 5 edge with an upwardly bent portion 62 which provides an inclined cam surface of such length as to extend over at all times the end 21 of the tongue 25, the relation being such that when this release member is forced inwardly it will cause the tongue to be moved towards the top wall iii and withdraw the latch or pawl 26 from engagement'with the ratchet and thus release the a slide member so that it may be moved relatively to the top end section i l. Projections 36 serve to engage the flange 23 and guide the release, member dd in its movement. The fingerpiece il is located at the end of the top section which is to be lifted for unfolding of the sections it, it and B? when in closed position on the arm-and is so positioned that it will be engaged for this purpose, whereby when the finger nail is positioned beneath the end 63 of this release slide for the purpose of lifting an end of the top section from its frictionally held folded position the first operation which will occur will be the movement of this release slide inwardly to withdraw the pawl 26 from the rack; thus freeing the slide for movement, and after this the sections may then be unfolded to open 30 position.- The slide, however, retains its innermost position of holding the pawl out of engagement with the rack until the slide is attempted to be forced inwardly again by some manual pressure, which will not often occur until after the 35 bracelet is again in closed or folded position on the arm and it is desired that the proper adjustment be had. whereupon the first or initial move- I ment of the slide inwardly will cause the outward movement of the release slide '38 either by reason of the friction of the slide 26 moving thereon or by positive engagement of the end portion id of the main slide 23 engaging this raised portion 62 of the release or auxiliary slide, after which the tongue will spring back to move the pawl into operative position so that it may snap from one opening 28 to another until the slide is positioned the desired amount inwardly to secure the proper adjustment of the parts.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined andlimited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a bracelet buckle, a plurality of sections hinged together to fold one over the other, a slide member in one section, pawl and ratchet means provided on said section and member to permit movement of the slide member in one direction and hold it against movement in the opposite direction, means movably secured to said section to disconnect said pawl and ratchet means prior to unfolding said sections, said means holding'said pawl and ratchet means disconnected, and a flngerpiece for operating said disconnecting means and also serving for unfolding said sections.

2. In a bracelet buckle, a plurality of sections 7 tional means for retaining said sections in folded position, one of said sections having a portion extending inwardly from one end thereof and a,oea,oa1 spaced from the walls thereof to provide a rea silient pawl, a member slidably mounted in said section and provided'with a rack to be engaged by said pawl, and a release member slidably secured to the end portion of said section to remove the pawl from engagement with said rack.

3. In a bracelet buckle, a plurality of sections hinged together to fold one over the other, frictional means for retaining said sections in folded position, one of said sections having a tongue extending inwardly from one end thereof with a part of its stock intermediate the length of said tongue raised to provide a pawl with an inclined surface and an abutting surface, a member slidably mounted in said section and provided with a rack to be engaged by said pawl, and a release member movably secured to said section to engage the free end of said tongue to flex the tongue andit remove the pawl from engagement with the rac 4. In a device of the type specified, the combination of a member adapted for connection to one end of a bracelet, a second member slidable on the first member and adapted to be connected to the opposite end of the bracelet, ratchet means on one of said members, latch means on the other member engageable with the ratchet means for retaining the members in adjusted relationship, and means slidable longitudinally of said members to release the latch means from the ratchet means, said slidable means being engageable by said ratchet means to be moved thereby to inoperative position.

5. In a device of the type specified, the combination of a member adapted for connection to one end of a bracelet, a second member slidable on the first member and adapted to be connected to the opposite end of the bracelet, ratchet means on one of said members, iatch means on the other member engageable with the ratchet means for retaining the members in adjusted relationship, means slidable longitudinally of said members to release the latch means from. the ratchet means, and an abutment on said slidable means engageable by said ratchet means to move said slidable means to inoperative position.

6. In a device of the type specified, the combination of a membeiuadapted for connection to one end oi a bracelet, a second member slidable on the first member and adapted to be connected to the opposite end of the bracelet, ratchet means on one of said members, latch means on the other member engageable with the ratchet means for retaining the members in adjusted relationship, means slidable longitudinally of said members to release the latch means from the ratchet means, and an abutment on said slidable,

means frictionally engageable by said ratchet means to move said slidable means to inoperative position.

7. In a device of. the type specified. the combination of a member adapted for connection to one end of a bracelet, a second member slidable on the first member and adapted to be connected to the opposite end of the bracelet, ratchet means on one of said members, a pawl on the other member engageable with the ratchet means to hold said members in different positions of adjustment, and manually operable means slidable longitudinally of said members to cam against the pawl to release it from the ratchet means, said slidable means being engageable by said ratchet means to be moved thereby to inoperative position.

8. In a device of the type specified, the combination of a member adapted for' connection to one end of a bracelet, a second member slidable on the first member and adapted to be connected to the opposite end of the bracelet, ratchet means on one of said members, a pawl on the other member engageable with the ratchet means to hold said members in diiIerent positions of adjustment, and manually operable means slidable longitudinally of said members to cam against the pawl to release it from the ratchet means, said slidable means being frictionally engageable by said ratchet means to be moved thereby to inoperative position.

9. In a bracelet buckle, a section, a member slidably mounted insaid section to extend beyond one end of said section, means in said section for engaging and securing said member in adjusted positions, and means secured at the opposite end of said section and movable longitudinally thereof for disengaging said first means from engagement with said slidable member.

10. In a bracelet buckle, a section, a member slidably mounted in said section to extend beyond one end of said section, means in said section for engaging and securing said member in arflusted positions, and means secured at the opposite end of said section and movable longitudinally thereof for disengaging said first means 11. In an extension device, a top plate, an.

adjusting link slidably connected thereto, and an extension plate hingedly connected to said top plate and releasably foldable in contracted relation thereto, said link and top plate having cooperating normally engaged pawl and detent elements, the top plate element having a part extendinglongitudinally-therefrom and past the hinge connection, and movable to disengage said elements.

12. In an extension device, a top plate, an adjusting link slidably connected thereto, and an extension plate hingedly connected to said top plate and releasably foldable in contracted relation thereto, said link and top plate having eooperating normally engaged pawl and ratchet elements, the top plate element having a part extending longitudinally therefrom and past the hinge connection, and movable to disengage said elements.

13. Ina bracelet buckle, a plurality of sections hinged together to fold one over the other, a member slidably mounted in one of the end sections of said plurality of sections, one of the ends of said end section being liitable from the other section for unfolding the sections, means for engaging and securing said member in adjusted position, and a fingerpiece movably secured at said liftable end for lifting the same to unfold said sections, said fingerpiece being slidable longitudinaily of said one end section and connected to said engaging and securing means for operating the same.

14. In a bracelet buckle, a section, a membe slidably mounted in said section, means for engaging and securing said member in adjusted position in said section, manualoperable means for rendering said engaging and securing means inoperative when said manual operable means is moved to one position, said manual operable means being engageable by said slidably mounted member to be moved thereby forrestoring said engaging and securing means to operative posimember in one direction.

15. In a bracelet buckle, a plurality of sections hinged together to told one we: the other, frictional means 101' retaining said sections in folded position, a. resilient pawl provided on one of said sections. a member slidsiaiy mounted in e 1 089,321 tion upon movement- 'of said slidably mounted" 

